(#169) May 1, 2015 Pioneer District Convention
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1. Let your heart and face express what you are trying to do with your hands. 2. Don’t act, or perform. Be. 3. Highest scores in Presentation (“how effectively the song is brought to life”), and lowest scores in Music (“the song and arrangement, as performed”) 4. “The basses form the foundation for virtually all the chords, and that if they produce a unit sound, the harmonics are already being produced, and that it’s the job of the other parts to merely reinforce the chord harmonics.” (From the judges’ comments to the Lansing chorus, as reported in the Woodshedder, but also said to us.) The chorus met for dinner Saturday at Griffin Grille. A video recording of the contest set as rehearsed before contest is available at: http://tinyurl.com/qda2qcl From Director Tom: ONLINE AT www.bigchiefchorus.org Men and Friends of the BCC, Well, what can I say...thank you, thank you and thank you for Vol. 14, No.112 (#169) May 1, 2015 another convention experience. This time, however, we did improve according to the judges (741 points). In fact, the second highest score Pioneer District Convention, Battle Creek for the BCC. You are all to be congratulated for your time, effort, and How sweet it is! most of all the very good performance on stage. A sixth place finish (4 th Both the chorus and the two quartets with Big Chief members – place if you take away the now two plateau 1 groups). Thanks for making Limited Edition and Coda Honor – broke the 60 point barrier, the trek to Battle Creek to represent Pontiac-Waterford Chapter in the scoring between 61 and 62. best of ways. The 61.8 score is the second highest score the chorus has ever To your credit, you are now a chorus that is heavily involved in achieved. Well, in modern history, i.e., since Chris Miller arrived in 1998; the community and performing for the community at large and a we didn’t compete in the years before. (In 2003, a pair of parodies consistent plateau 2 chorus. Thank you, for that tells me that you want scored 63.7.) And 61.4 is the highest that Limited Edition has scored. to be community- minded and yet perform at a high level. Majestyx quartet, the Great Lakes Chorus from Grand Rapids, Thanks again to those who car-pooled, brought chairs, brought and Frontier (college) quartet will be representing the District in apples, oranges, water, and those other unmentioned things that help to Pittsburgh in July. make our chorus run smoothly and accomplish as much as we do. Frontier is composed of Director Aaron Pollard and three It continues to be a pleasure to serve you. How long have I been other members of The Voice Youth Chorus, who will be on our Fall show. with the BCC...?(I really should sign that contract!) The judges praised the chorus’s performance of “Heart of a Let's enjoy (bask in our laurels, a bit) but continue to press on Clown” and “I’m Beginning to See the Light.” Some comments: toward learning new music, prepare for summer sing-outs, and our show in the fall. I am excited about our guests and again another creative A memorial celebration was held Saturday, April 18, at Kruse show theme, script and good selection of songs to present to our fans! & Muer’s, Lake Orion. About a dozen Chiefs and ex-Chiefs were part of the group of 65. Bill’s kids and friends spoke about his love, his From VP Roger Holm wonderful parenting, his love of singing, his need to keep moving, his GENTLEMEN: Good job at contest everybody! As we learned saving a man’s life with CPR, his move from Clawson to acreage in the from the judges at our evaluations, we weren't perfect, but we sang well Lake Orion area where he tried to become a gentleman farmer, with and did some very positive things! Thanks to all of us - especially Tom - many animals. for all the effort! His daughter, Leslie, wrote: “For the gentlemen who knew my father in the chorus and the ones who have passed on, you were all an BILL NEVAUX integral part of my dad's life, my mother's life and mine. One of the Bill Nevaux died Saturday, March 28, age 87, greatest gifts both my parents gave me was the love of singing. Thank in Ann Arbor, where he had been living with his son you from the bottom of my heart to all you wonderful barbershoppers since the death of his wife, Candy, in 2011. for that. Bill will be remembered for many things. He With great affection to you all, Leslie Nevaux” played baseball up through Class A sandlot, and for three years in the Army, during which period he met AROUND THE PATCH Candy in Japan. He continued to play baseball into his sixties. He was also an avid golfer, and a crackerjack ping-pong player. He worked as a die-maker and machine builder, in the auto industry, until his retirement in 1993. Bill was active in barbershopping over a period of 50 years. He joined the Oakland County chapter of SPEBSQSA in 1965. Two years later they won the district chorus title under Carl Dahlke, and went to International in Cincinnati. Bill sang in a quartet called The Conchords for two years with Bob McDermott (Bs) (past district president and author of our History of the Pioneer District ), Dick Van Dyke (Br), and Jack Evans (T). He A First for Freddie, introducing two new left barbershopping in 1969 when he moved to Lake Orion. Then he Barberpole Cats – John Cowlishaw and Fred Pioch joined the Pontiac chapter about 1979. This led to singing tenor in a quartet called Model A Four with Bill Dabbs (Br), Bob Woodward Rumored: that Duane Roy shot a 79 on his 79 th birthday. (Bs), and Larry Ornsby (L & chapter president). In the aughts, he sang in Jackpot (Tom Ford (T), Bill Nevaux (L), John Cowlishaw (Br), Zaven 4-7-8 Melkonian (Bs)). A certain Big Chief reports that he has been using 4-7-8 Bill had seven Men of Note awards, including Fred McFadyen. breathing to deal successfully with his insomniac attacks in the middle of He and Candy were also active in the Church Street Singers. the night. Another Big Chief reports that his wife’s anxiety attack was Bill’s sons Mike and Kevin live in Michigan, and daughter Leslie in soothed by 4-7-8 breathing. Alaska. Quartets Sowles had worked well at promoting the event including Limited Edition ’s name on the electronic entry sign. 4GVN On March 21, 4GVN participated in the “Open Mic Night” Chapter 2015 Performances: 57 gigs to 802,652 people event at the arts center in Milford. The monthly winner of the 18-and- under and the all-ages performances gets invited to the “Milford MEMBERSHIP : (at 50) Memories” community event in early August. Renewals: Jim McMain (4), Duane Roy (6), Fred Pioch (8), Walt We were expecting to do one song, and we have been working Bachmann (14), Bob Legato (16),Bill Holmes (17), Bob on “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” But when we got there, Wayne Wallace (23), Bob Marshall (25), Tom Blackstone (29) found out we could do up to ten minutes. So we found a quiet spot and Due in May: None created a three-song set: “It’s a Good Day,” “Can You Feel the Love Overdue : Mike Doyle, Ted Prueter, Bob Stephenson Tonight?” and “Country Roads.” We got a great reception from the May Birthdays : Gene Downie (4 th ), Bill Dabbs (17 th ), Bill Durham audience, who seemed to especially appreciate hearing pure a cappella (27 th ) after everyone else did a guitar-something. BSOM : (February) 4GVN Although we didn’t win, we needed to get out and sing, and we enjoyed some really good talent at the event. District Greg Moss Dick Liddicoatt On April 16, 4GVN sang in the HERO’s audition at Zukey Lake passed away on the March Tavern in Hamburg Michigan. They were one of the entertainers that 26 in Lake Orion. made it into the Finals June 20 (2:00 p.m.) in the Hamburg Fun Festival. Dick directed the The audience of 150 appreciated them. You can hear two 1-minute clips Oakland County Barbery - of Greg introducing the quartet at 4:32 and part of their performance, Host Chorus in 1966, 1967. “Country Roads,” at 23:04 - at: http://tinyurl.com/oqzzzmg He was also a director of the Pontiac Big Chief Chorus. Limited Edition He was the Baritone Limited Edition performed at the Romeo Graubner District of Left Overs (Art Linde Library, Wednesday evening, April 22, 2015. The hour-long show, 17 (T), Gene Johnson (L), Dick songs, was organized as a world tour (departing on Frank Sinatra’s jet Liddicoatt (Br), Bob Fangert (Bs)) which was the District Senior Quartet from the “Romeo International Airport” – there was a moment of Champion in 1994. consternation in the eyes of the 35 people in the audience as they It was Dick who initiated, in 1965, the “Travelin’ Brown Jug,” looked out through the auditorium window at the April snow showers – which raised funds during “Jug Nights” to help out quartets representing then laughter). Regions “visited” included Acapulco, LA, Malibu, Las the District at International competitions. Vegas, Texas, New Orleans, Mississippi, Jamaica, the Atlantic, the (Source: Bob McDermott’s History of the Pioneer District , and the Serengeti, Normandy Beach, Liverpool, NYC, Memphis, River City, and Pioneer District web site.) Grundy County, with a song attached to each.